Fruit-picking device



Jan. 23, 1923. 1,442,827

' DESOTO E. RICHARDSON.

FRUIT PICKING DEVICE. FILED JAN. 17, 1922.

Patented Jan. 23, 1923.

than? earner error-i,

FRUIT-PICKING DEVICE.

Application filed January 17, 1922.

To all or Item it may concern.

do it known that T, Dn Soro E. RICHARD- sorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Ukanogan, State of li ashington, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Picking Device; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to fruit picking de- 'ices and has for its object to provide a de vice of this character comprising flexible split rings adapted to receive either the thumb or the first and second fingers or first and third fingers of a fruit picker, said split rings being adjustably mounted and connected together by a bar and having an gularly shaped breaking devices adjustably mounted on the rings, and having a ridge against which the stem of an apple or the like may be forced and broken.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

In the drawings Figure l is a rear view of the device show ing the same in position for use.

Figure 2 is a se -tional view through the device taken on line 9.2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the connectingbar, the ends 2 of which extend through yokes 3 of finger engaging rings 4 and are held in said yokes by means of set screws 5. The finger engaging rings 4 are split as at 6, and are formed from slightly flexible material, thereby allowing the rings to spread according to the size of the first and second fingers 7 and 8 when the device is disposed on said fingers or the size of the thumb 9 when the device is carried by the thumb. The applying of the rings 4 to the various sizes of fingers is possible by the flexing of the same when'the finger is forced through the ring. Mounted on the rings are stem engaging members Serial No. 529,855.

10, which members are angularly shaped in horizontal. cross section as clearly shown in Figure 9, thereby forming on each breaking me iber 10 a sharp corner ll, which corner is adapted to be forced into engagement the stem 12 of a piece of fruit 13 by means of the adjacent finger thereby facilitating and rendering easy the breaking of the stem 12. The breaker members 10 are provided with sleeves l l, which sleeves receive the rings a and are held in various adjusted. positions thereon by means of set screws 15. screws 15 allow the breaker members 10 to I be adjusted to various positions on the rings ple in construction, may be applied to eitherthe first and second or first and third fingers, or to the thumb of the operator and so con structed that the stem may be easily broken during a fruit picking operation.

The object of the fruit picking device is to revent the stems from being pulled out of the fruit, and to eliminate the hurting of the fingers while icking the same.

All the metal parts of the fruit picking device are to be covered wit-ha bulfing material .to prevent marring the fruit.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is A finger carried fruit picking device comprising a bar, flexible split. finger engaging rings carried by said bar, and a stem engaging member carried by said rings.

2. A finger carried fruit picking device comprising a bar, expansible finger engaging rings carried by said bar and adjustable thereon, spring means for holding said rings in various positions while they are being secured to the bar, stem engaging members carried by the rings, said stem engaging members being provided with sleeves slidably mounted on the rings.

3. A finger carried fruit picking device, saii'l device comprising spaced expansible The set i rings adapted co receive fingers of the operator, sleeves carried by said rings, 2), connecting bar extending through said sleeves,

means whereby said sleeves may be secured to the bar and stem engaging members slidably mounted on the rings, and circumferentially adjustable on the rings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

- DE sore E. RICHARDSON. Witnesses L; E. FRANK, I. 'W. CHAPMAN. 

